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(No Model.) 7 2 S-heets'-.Sheet I. G. FREDERICK 8: J. C. EGLB-Y. O'IRGULAR KNIT-TING MACHINE.

No. 400,007. Patented July SO, 1889 nw J zli W V .M f m a w u. PETERS. mwum nur, Waahingion. no.

(No Model.) 2 sheets- 5111001; 2. U. FREDERICK 8v J; G. EGLEY. GIRGULARKNITTING MACHINE.-

N0. 408,007. Patented July 30, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN FREDERICK, OF \VILMINGTON, DELAIVARE, AND JOHN C. EGLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID EGLEY ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS A. PEARCE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. I

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,007, dated July 30, 1889.

' Application filed April 13, 1889- Serial No. 307,084. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHRISTIAN FREDERICK, of IVilmington, in the county of New lastle and State of Delaware, and JOHN C. EGLEY, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain Improvements in CirculanKnitting Machines, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention has reference to cylinder knitting-machines in which a series of vertical needles are reciprocated by cams on the inside of a rotary encircling-ring, commonly known as the cam-ring. In the use of these machines for knitting heels and toes, or other work requiring the fabric to be narrowed or widened, it is the common practice to lift certain of the needles until their heels are out of the reach of the operating-cams. It is found, however, that from various causes the heels of the needles are liable to descend or ascend accident-ally to such position that they will strike squarely against the ends or points of the operating-cams, instead of riding thereunder or thereover, as they should do. In machines for fine work, having the needles set closely together, the contact of the needles with the point of the cam causes the breakage of the cylinder, the thin metal walls between the needle-grooves being fractured.

Our invention relates to a guard-cam or safety-cam designed to act upon the heels of such needles as are in danger of striking the point of the cam to force the same either upward or downward that they may pass the cam in safety.

\Ve are aware that cams have heretofore been devised for this purpose; but our invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement, hereinafter recited in detail, whereby the cams are given a new mode of action and relieved from the dangers and obj ections attending the cams heretofore in use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central cross section of the cam ring or cylinder having our improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line cc :0. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line y y of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. i is a perspective view of one of the safety-cams as seen from above. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same as seen from its under side. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line z z of Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5. Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views illustrating the action of the needles on one of the safetycams. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are face views showing various positions of the needle in relation to the cam.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a rotary cam-ring provided with the fixed cams a a a a constructed and arranged in the usual manner to effect the elevation and de pression of the operated needles at each revolution of the ring.

Our improvement is intended to prevent the needle-heels from striking against the points or ends of the upper cam a, and for this purpose we employ at opposite ends of said cam our two safety-cams B and B. These cams, which operate independently of each other and during the rotation of the cam-ring in opposite directions, are precisely alike, except that one is right and the other left handed. A description of the construction and operation of one cam will therefore be a sufficient explanation of the other. Selecting, therefore, the cam B for illustration, it will be seen to consist of a plate extendiug horizontally through a slot in the cylinder from the outside, where it is mounted on a supporting-pivot I), supported in legs 011 the cam-ring. At its outer end, near the pivot, the cam is shouldered, and is acted upon by one end of a spring Z), fixed to the cylinder and urging the inner end of the cam through and beyond the inner face of the ring. The inner projecting end of the cam is made of the peculiar form shown particularly in Figs.

4 and 5. It presents on the upper side a fiat surface b which extends from the lower front edge upward and backward toward the cam a to a level above the point of the cam, so that the needle-heels riding over the surface b will be lifted thereby above the point of cam a At the forward edge the point of the cam 5 is cut away in the peculiar manner shown at 11 This cut extends somewhat into the upper surface b but a square point or shoulder 1) is left at the forward edge, as shown. On the under face the point of the camis cut away from the opening I) backward, as shown at b, to present a rounded surface having a downward and backward inclination. Viewed from the inside of the cylinder the cam pre sents the appearance shown in Fig. 9.

In vertical cross-section the upper face 19 and the under face I) are horizontal, as shown in Fig. 6. This horizontal position of these faces is an important feature of our construction and is to be particulary noted.

The action of the device is as follows: A the point of the cam a is advanced toward a needle-heel in its path, it is preceded by the cam B. If the heel is in such position that its side face strikes squarely against the front shoulder 19 of the cam, as shown in Fig. 7, the cam will be tipped backward or outward through the cam-ring, as shown in Fig. 8, after which the heel will ride either upward over the face I) or downward under the face I), so thatit will pass in the one case over and in the other case under the cam. a

In practice we have found a cam constructed and mounted as described .will invariably throw the needle-heel upward or downward and that it is impossible for needles to lodge firmly against said cam or to pass the same in any position in which they could abut against the end of the cam a Owing to the fact that the faces 13 and Z) are horizontal in cross-section, the needle-heels have but slight tendency to urge the cam outward. Consequently we are enabled to employ a feeble spring to hold the cam in position, and thus to overcome the dangers which would attend the use of a cam requiring the support of a strong spring and requiring the needles to apply a heavy pressure before the cam will yield. This has been a serious difliculty with safety-cams as heretofore constructed. In the previous cams the needle-depressing surfaces were inclined in cross-section, so that the resistance of the cam tended to force the cam outward. It was consequently necessary to employ springs of such great strength that their resistance frequently caused the needles to fracture the guides in the cylinder. It will be observed that the upper inclined face I) is continued downward below the level of and beyond the upper end of the under surface I). It follows, therefore, that any needle which strikes against the end or shoulder 11 will, after swinging the cam outward, be certain to pass through the notch b and under the cam.

The outward motion of the cam acts to carry the upper surface 12 out of the way and to present the under surface I) in a new position in which it is exposed to the needle-heel, so that the latter may pass thereunder. In other words, when the cam is in its normal position a heel at a level with its end will not ride thereover and cannot ride thereunder, because the shoulder or end 19 prevents the heel from reaching the under surface. When the cam turns back, the shoulder passes out of the way and exposes the surface 11 at a higher level, so that theheel is certain to pass thereunder.

Having" thus described ourinvention, what we claim i-s 1. In combination with the ring provided with the usual needle-operating cams, the spring and the spring-actuated guard-cam pivoted to swing outward and provided at the inner end with surfaces 19 b, inclined one upward and the other downward in the direction of rotation.

2. In combination with the ring having the usual needle-operating cams, the outwardlymovable spring-pressed guard-cam having at its inner end an upwardly and a downwardly inclined surface, one having its forward end carried past the level of the other, whereby the outward motion of the cam is caused to expose to the needle-heels the surface which was previously guarded by the other surface.

3. The ring having the usual needle-operating cams, in combination with the spring and the pivoted spring-pressed guard cam having the surfaces 19 b, shoulder b and notch b 4:. In combination with the ring and the usual needle operating cams, the pivoted spring-pressed guard-cam having, first, an upperinclined face normally in the path of those needle-heels which would abut against the point of the operatingcam second, the shoulder against which said heels act to swing the cam outward, and, third, the under inclined surface which is exposed to the heels by the outward motion.

In testimony whereof we hereunto set our hands, this 30th day of March, 1889, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

CHRISTIAN FREDERICK. JOHN G. EGLEY.

IVitnesses:

AnoLPH EICHHOLZ, GUsTAvUs REMAK, J r. 

